Flash Fanfiction - Episode 10 - Hello, Goodbye, Rewind
by Reign Atkins
Summary: Astrid and Barry manage to get Cisco back from the pocket dimension but now they must work with Captain Cold and Heatwave to save the entire town from Grodd's mind control. Barry will give Eobard an answer...
1. Chapter 1

Francisco brought Astrid and Barry to an entirely different earth, where the sun was just starting to set.

"Where are we and how the hell did you do that?" Barry demanded for Francisco to explain.  
"Would you have preferred me to leave you back in STAR Labs?" he replied, dodging the question.  
"I'm glad that we are out of danger." Astrid told them, "But, I'm with Barry! Where are we?"

She and Barry looked around at their surroundings, it looked like Central City, only different.  
"The two of you don't recognize your own city?" Francisco asked them. He had given up trying to imitate Cisco's manner of speaking.

Barry realized just why this Central City looked different to his hometown. "everything seems so…" he couldn't find the right word to use.  
"Backwards?" Astrid asked, raising an eyebrow, "I was going to say the same thing."  
"This is what you would call a pocket dimension. A smaller version of the universe that you are from. A consequence, if you will, created by Eobard Thawne." Francisco explained.

"So why does Eobard need me if you can travel to alternate dimensions? Why didn't he just use your powers." Barry asked.

"I was wondering how long it would take for you to ask me that one. Travelling to small pocket dimensions is a lot easier than travelling through times and to different worlds entirely. It requires a lot more energy." Francisco explained.

"So this is where you took Cisco?" Astrid asked. "Well, we need to find him. Chances are he would go somewhere that reminds him of home. So we should start with the STAR Labs on this earth and see what we can find."

"Maybe it would be a good idea if we don't run into our other selves." Barry said.  
"Good thinking, Barry. I would also suggest staying as far away from STAR Labs, as possible." Francisco told them.  
"But STAR Labs would be the best place to start. Wouldn't they hold intel on anything and everything out of the ordinary. I'm pretty certain our Cisco would think the same and just head there." Astrid argued.  
"In your world, yes. In this world… I would advise you to stay right away. We are only here to hide from the chaos that your Central City has become. But this world is just as dangerous." Francisco said.

"So why bring us here? I am not leaving until we find Cisco. If this world is dangerous, he could be in danger too." Astrid was not going to take no for an answer.

"Ok, but first we need to find somewhere to stay. If he is smart, he would have done the same thing." Francisco told them.

Barry and Astrid knew that being newcomers to this world, they would need to listen to him in order to survive. "Ok, lead the way." Barry replied.

Francisco took them to a rundown apartment in a very shady looking street.  
"er…is this place safe?" Astrid asked him.  
"With the two of you here, it should be." He replied.  
"Remind me not to fall asleep," she whispered to Barry, as Francisco showed them through the house pointing out the separate rooms that they would be sleeping in.

"While you are both here, the two of you need to not use your powers. We don't need the attention." Francisco instructed them.

"Why are you helping us?" Barry asked him, "You were lined up with Eobard, you must have some reason to be helping us."

Astrid probed his mind for the answer, but got only what he told them, "Eobard turned against me too back there. While I need your help to get me back to my own world… I have no personal vendetta against either one of you. Regardless of what you might think. I am not a bad person."

"But you kidnapped our friend, you worked in line with Barry's enemy and you lied to us!" Astrid snapped, "Why should we believe you? Our friend Caitlin is being punished for a crime that she did not commit! And God knows where our Cisco is! I know that you're telling us the truth now… but I still don't trust a single word you say!"

"So be it! But you would have done the same thing if you were in my position. If you want to get your friend back, we need to work together!"

Astrid said nothing. Instead she stormed outside, into the hall and sat down by the door. She was angry at herself for mistaking this Francisco for her best friend and declaring her feelings to him earlier. It had been stupid of her to not realize all of this sooner. Especially because she knew him better than anyone.

The door opened from behind her and she knew instantly that it was not Barry. "What do you want?" she asked Francisco.

"To make sure that you are ok." He told her.

"Well, I'm fine. So go away!" she shot at him.

"I want to apologize for you thinking I was your friend. earlier. You know when you said what you said." He told her.

"Yeah, I get it. You already gave the 'we need to trust each other' speech. This is your way of making amends. Drop the crap because I know you're hiding something. And so does Barry. And if we find Cisco, and he is hurt in anyway… don't think we will let you go free. I can completely destroy your mind within minutes… and I won't think twice about doing so!" she told him, as she pushed past him and went back inside to find Barry.

"You really think that everyone in life is out to hurt you, don't you? For a psychologist, you're very paranoid." Francisco said, as he followed her back inside.

"Well in my defense that's generally because they are!" She snapped back at him, "I mean both you and Thawne infiltrated our group and because of it we have to save our friends. My father's body was taken over by an alien… which I had to pull the trigger to kill, Barry's mother was murdered by your friend and so his father has been locked away for 15 years because of it… and we just had to leave our own world because a psychic gorilla just compelled the entire town to go after us… so I am pretty certain that I have every reason to be a little paranoid, and downright pissed off!"

Barry who had seen Astrid's entire meltdown did his best to calm her down. "Astrid, everything is ok. We will rescue Cisco and we will go back and rescue Caitlin and after that… I'm going to take Eobard Thawne up on his offer. I'm going to save my mom."

Astrid looked at him and took a few deep breaths. "How did you get to be the calm one?" she asked her friend.  
"I took a page from your book… well before all of this happened." He replied.

Barry then looked over at Francisco. "I just hope that you are telling us the truth when you say that you're going to help us."

"I am. I'll go get us something to eat. You guys are probably hungry. There's a television in the other room." He told them as he left. Barry walked into the other room and switched on the television looking for the news. He found it and immediately called for Astrid's attention.

When she entered the room she heard a speech that immediately grasped her attention from this world's CEO of STAR Labs.

"Who is Dr Wells?" Barry asked her. He was wondering if her father may have met him at some point in time.  
"I have no idea…" she replied as they listened intently to his speech.

"Tonight, in just a few hours, we will witness a new dawn. The acceleration of the particle accelerator is set to…" Dr Wells continued speaking as Barry and Astrid noticed two familiar people standing on both sides of the man.

"Well, I guess we found Cisco and Caitlin's doubles." Barry told her.  
Astrid stared at the doppleganger of her best friend, wearing the exact same clothes that she had seen him wear in the past, and flicking back his dark hair behind his ear nervously. "Sure… their doubles…" she replied, with disbelief.


	2. Chapter 2

"Barry, he has been a while." Astrid said, referring to Francisco, with her eyes steadily on the television, waiting for the next news report. The two of them were highly interested in the STAR Labs Particle Accelerator being switched on. Maybe it was because it was STAR Labs without either one of them affiliated with it, while their two best friends were… Well their doubles were.

"Yeah I was thinking the same thing. I think it might have to do with that." Barry replied.  
Astrid got to her feet and made her way to the door. "Where are you going?" he asked her.

"I'm not waiting another damn minute. I need to find Cisco! Before that guy comes back," she told him. As Barry got to his feet, the two of them were suddenly overcome with darkness. The television and all the lights had gone out.

They both pulled out their phones and used the light to look around. "Maybe they didn't pay the bill? I suppose that means we're both going!" Barry suggested. 

Using their phones, the two of them made their way outside and out into the dark street.

"It looks like it's the entire town. It must have something to do with STAR Labs." Astrid told him.  
"You're really keen on going aren't you?" Barry asked, poking fun.  
"A little bit… but also I know Cisco too well. He has to be connected to it in some way."

Barry took hold of her and sped through the city, in search for STAR Labs.

They found their selves amidst a crowd of people, frantically looking to find their way, using only their phone lights. Astrid thought she had seen Cisco running with someone to hide behind a few buildings. Though it was just too dark to make out. She nudged Barry, but he had his eyes fixed on someone else. It was Iris.

"She's so beautiful, isn't she?" he asked his friend.

"Um, Barry. As relieved as I am that you are back in love with Iris and not following me around like a love sick puppy with flowers… we have a task at hand… and look, your other self is right there, with her!" Astrid told him.

Barry noticed the dorky forensic scientist beside Iris. "Do I really dress like that?" he asked Astrid.  
"Not really… you dress dorkier." She teased, then pulled his arm to follow her in the direction that she had sworn she had seen Cisco leave in.

"I do not dress dorky!" Barry said boldly, "I dress with style and class."  
"You dress like the kid that would get straight A's in school." Astrid told him as she led him toward a darkened alleyway. It felt as if someone had brushed past her. But it was too fast to see. Barry's eyes were fixed on his clothes. "What's wrong with receiving straight A's in school?" he asked her.  
"Nothing, but I was a B-C student… Shhh!" she whispered. She immediately pulled him next to her as they stood behind the corner of the building and peered around.

"It's Cisco." She whispered to Barry.  
"Is that our Cisco, or another Cisco?" Barry asked her. Astrid knew that she shouldn't, but she probed Cisco's mind. She immediately ended the link after she had got what she had needed.

"It's our Cisco. Don't ask me how I know, he will kill me if he finds out." She told Barry.

"You read his mind?" Barry asked her.  
"I read his mind." She admitted and the two of them watched as Cisco seemed to being threatened by a figure. They could only see the man from behind.

Barry went to help their friend, but Astrid pulled him back. "Barry, he's a speedster. I can't read his mind." She told him.

The man who was threatening their friend fired a gun, fortunately it didn't hit Cisco. But there was a blood curdling scream that belonged to what must have been an invisible girl in the darkness beside their friend.

Astrid gasped and was concerned that they might have heard her. Barry instantly pulled her out of sight and the other speedster took their friend and his acquaintance and were gone in a heartbeat.

"Great!" Astrid said with pure sarcasm. "We've lost him again, and we're dealing with another speedster… I'm beginning to hate those guys!"

"Hey!" Barry exclaimed.  
"You know I didn't mean you!" she shot at him.  
"I know you didn't. But that guy was DR Wells. He is the speedster on this earth. So chances are he took them inside STAR Labs. We will find them. I can deal with him, you can slip in and find Cisco." Barry instructed.

"The two of you are trying to find Cisco?" a stranger's voice interrupted their conversation and made them both jump.  
"Whose asking?" Astrid said standing in front of Barry and immediately probing the guy's mind. She saw no threat in him.  
"My name is Reyes. I'm here to help… and I also know of someone who can help us hack into the system to find out where they are being held captive. Her name is Felicity."

Astrid and Barry looked over at each other. They were actually in luck!


	3. Chapter 3

"Woah woah woah! Let me get this straight… You're the Flash?" Reyes asked, once they had gone somewhere private to come up with a plan. He sounded as if he were meeting an iconic celebrity.  
The building that they had escaped to was dark. Electricity had not yet returned back to the city.

"Erm… what makes you say that?" Barry asked him. He had only just met the guy.

"Oh, when your friend Cisco told me he knew the Flash, he never thought you would be able to find him. But here you are. Have you learnt how to travel through alternate dimensions yet?" Reyes asked.

"No… actually we were brought here by a guy who looks a hell of a lot like him… like Cisco, I mean." Barry replied.

"Francisco Ramon? Aka Reverb, I would imagine." Reyes replied, there was a hint of annoyance in his tone.  
"You know the guy?" Astrid asked.  
"I did, actually. Paco was my best friend, until he turned on us. To work for that low life Eobard Thawne to bring down The Flash, who is standing right here."

"I never said that I was the Flash." Barry chimed in.  
"Ok, we will leave it at that. I understand secrets. But we need to trust each other if we intend on saving your friend and our girl Gypsy." Reyes told them. The phone in his pocket rang and so he put the caller, immediately on loud speaker.

"Reyes! I haven't been able to locate Cisco or Gypsy. I think they have been kidnapped." Felicity's voice was heard by all three of them.

"Felicity Smoake?" Astrid and Barry both asked in unison.  
"Who's that?" she asked, alarmed.

"Felicity, it's ok. This is Barry and Astrid. They are friends of Cisco's and they are here to help us rescue them." Reyes reassured her.  
"Ok. So, you guys what's the plan?" she asked them.

Astrid and Reyes both looked at Barry, who looked as if he had thought one up.  
"Felicity? How are your hacking skills?" he asked her.  
"I am quite possibly the world's best hacker… if I do say so myself… I am just waiting for my award… Which I am quite disappointed hasn't come yet… but then again no one can find me… haha, you guys, it was joke and probably not a very funny one!" they could hear the laughter in Felicity's voice, which made them both chuckle.

"I hope she is like that in every dimension." Astrid said with a laugh.  
Barry went on with his plan. "Well. Chances are STAR Labs will be currently working with a generator. We need you to hack into the STAR Lab systems and find out where they are keeping them. Astrid, will you and Reyes be able to sneak through the facility to find where they are being kept?" Barry asked.

"Sounds good, Bar. We'll find a couple lab coats as I would prefer not to have to fight." Astrid replied.  
"Don't worry, I'll look after you." Reyes said trying to comfort her.

Barry and Astrid cracked up laughing. They couldn't contain themselves, which had Reyes and Felicity confused.

"What's so funny?" Reyes asked.  
"Astrid was worried about you. She can take care of herself." Barry explained.  
"Worried about me?" Reyes asked, "What can she do?"  
"In all truth. I could blow your mind…" Astrid said vaguely, "and not in the way you're hoping." Reyes was all the more confused.

"Don't worry." Barry told him. "While the two of you find them. I will look for this Wells guy. It shouldn't take too long."

"Because you're the Flash, right?" Reyes really wanted his question answered.  
"Let's just get to work." Astrid chimed in. "We will talk about who is who once everyone is safe. I'm pretty certain that Wells shot at your friend Gypsy. Cisco only knows basic wound management so chances are things could be getting pretty dicey if the guy hit an artery."

Astrid and Reyes made it to STAR Labs which sure enough had all its power restored thanks to the generator systems. Thankfully, Felicity was able to blur out each camera to the rooms that the two of them entered. They found a set of lab coats and put them on. But they both lacked identification to pass through the security doors.

Astrid spotted a couple of employees and approached them with Reyes beside her. She wasn't too keen on demonstrating her power in front of him, but she knew that she could mind wipe him later if she needed to.

"Hi," she said to the employees, "I need the two of you to give my friend and I your identification badges, please." She spoke sternly. Reyes stifled back a laugh, he swore that the girl was crazy. Why the hell would these two give up their pass cards for the two of them to get past security? Surely their plans were ruined. But to his bewilderment they did so, without hesitation.

Astrid handed him one of the badges and fixed the other to the lab coat. "You can now go home early. Have a good sleep. Good night!" she told the employees and they listened obediently and left.

"How the hell did you do that?" he asked her, under his breath so no one would hear.  
"I told you that I would blow your mind. She checked the blueprints map that was displayed on the phone. "Come on. They're this way." She told him as she left in the direction up ahead.

Barry scanned the facility looking for Dr Wells. He couldn't find him anywhere. It was as if the guy had just vanished. He received a messaged, from Felicity, on the phone that he had been given. His actual phone did not have proper service in this world.

Cisco and Gypsy were being held in the STAR Labs pipeline. It was a forwarded message that he was sure that Astrid and Reyes had also received.

This STAR Labs was built considerably different to the one back home. But there seemed to be just as many employees. He had to be careful not to be noticed.

He remembered the Particle accelerator. It seemed fitting that the man would be there. So he went in search for it. Alas, he found it… and standing at the console before it, was the man he was looking for. But before he could be noticed, he put on a lab coat and entered the room as a regular employee would. He wanted to be as inconspicuous as possible.

Reyes and Astrid entered the pipeline, where they were certain, as per Felicity's message, that they would find their friends. What they didn't expect however, was the sight that they found when they arrived.

The two of them were sitting with their backs to the glass… they were kissing.  
Astrid immediately found a console and angrily unlocked the glass, making the two of them fall backwards. Cisco pushed Gypsy away as an instant reaction when he saw just who had saved them.  
"Astrid! It's not what it looks like! How did you get here?" he asked her.  
Both she and Reyes were both clearly put off by what they had just witnessed.

"Look. Let's just get the two of you out of here! Barry's looking for that Wells guy." She said, trying to keep her annoyance under wraps.

"Barry's found Wells at the particle accelerator." Reyes said, irritably. "I just received an update from Felicity."

Gypsy who had been quiet all this time seemed a little embarrassed. There was clearly something going on with Cisco and Astrid. But he had not said anything to her, earlier.

The four of them left to find Barry.


	4. Chapter 4

Barry approached DR Wells quietly, as the man tried to restart the activation sequence at the computer console. He was sitting in a wheelchair.

"I was wondering how long it would take for you to arrive, Barry Allen." Dr Wells said.  
"I'm sorry, but I don't know what you mean." Barry asked.  
"I know who you truly are. We have certainly fought before. Well not you specifically… but you all the same. You must understand that no matter what you do here… you must not change the course of this time. Every choice you make has dire consequences. Just you being here can alter this world drastically." Dr Wells told him.

"So, if you're not from this time… aren't you doing the same thing? You're altering things in a very large way." Barry argued.

"I'm doing what needs to be done. You know so little of how things should be. I intend to show you and you will not stand in my way. This particle accelerator will impact the Central City radius in an amazing way. Sure some will die in the blast but they are but a mere blip on what is to come. This world will experience a new tomorrow, starting from today." Dr Wells replied.  
"I will not let you hurt a single person." Barry told him. The man was in a wheelchair, maybe the speedster that had hurt Cisco's friend, had been another person? Nonetheless this man needed to be stopped.

Barry launched for the console to stop the activation before DR Wells could finish his job. Though, his assumptions had been wrong about Wells. For the man stood up and threw Barry to the ground, and then sat back in his wheelchair again.

Before Barry could get back up and stop DR Wells from continuing with his work, a vibrational blast projectiled through the room and knocked him to the ground. Sure enough, it was Cisco's evil twin Reverb again.  
"I should have known you were working for this man!" Barry snapped. "You betrayed our trust."  
"I was sincere when I told you I would help you in your time. But I was clear that you stay away from STAR Labs in this world. But you didn't listen!" Reverb sounded back as he launched another projectile across the room. "This world needs its Flash! No matter the costs." He told Barry adamantly, standing between he and Wells.

Barry was able to dodge this blast this time. Though he felt that he would need a little help dealing with the two of them.

Alas, help came in time, for Astrid, Cisco and their new friends Reyes and Gypsy had arrived to offer some assistance.

"Long time no see… doppleganger! But can you fight?" Reverb mocked Cisco, who pulled Francisco's old pair of goggles, out of his pocket and put them on. "Oh… I've picked up a couple of things." He snapped back.

"We don't need to fight, Paco. You, Gypsy and I can leave this fight, now." Reyes offered to Reverb. He was hoping that he had not lost his friend, for good.

"Reyes… this above all of us." Reverb replied. "You're either with me… or against me. If you're with me… you know what to do… These strangers must be stopped!"

Reyes looked at Cisco, Barry and Astrid. Then he looked back at Paco and DR Wells. "I know what I need to do…" he replied. Within seconds a blue suit emerged from his back covering his entire body and surprising Barry and Astrid. Cisco played it cool. He had seen it happen a few times now.

The three of them were concerned for the choice that Reyes was yet to make. "This is where we must part ways, my brother. I will not let you hurt millions of people, even to create a hero." Reyes decided.

He looked over at Gypsy who thought for a few moments and then looked at Reverb, Cisco and Reyes.  
"I stand with Reyes… and as you call them… these strangers. I'm sorry my love. But we stand for what is right." She announced.

Reverb looked hurt for a moment, but then shot the large vibrational blasts from both of his hands at the group. The first two hit Reyes and Gypsy immediately. It was clear that he wanted them out of the way first. They fell to the floor, too wounded to stand.

Barry leapt for DR Wells in an attempt to pull the man away from the console. It worked, but now the two speedsters were fighting displaying nothing but a blur of lightning bolts.

Cisco shot a projectile blast at Reverb. It missed, but he was just getting warmed up. He shot another one which this time knocked his double, backwards a few feet. "Poor Cisco. You're still just learning. Have you learnt how to breach yet?" he sneered as he shot a large projectile blast in his direction, knocking Cisco to the floor. He hobbled over to check on Reyes and Gypsy.

Astrid ran at Reverb ready for hand to hand contact. Her mind reading abilities helped her to match his attacks with the relevant blocks and counter attacks. "Of course he needs you to protect him." Reverb told her, referring to Cisco.

"At least he has friends who won't betray him." She shot back.  
"You're right, that's what I need. Someone like you." Reverb told her. She went to punch him and he blocked it, restraining her arm from behind her back. She had been thrown off guard.

"Well maybe you should avoid the guy who wants to commit mass murder on an entire town. Siding with the bad guys never does anyone any favors." She told him, flipping him from over her shoulder and pressing her foot into his throat as he lay on the ground.

"I might have a better idea. It's clear that your guy Cisco and Gypsy have something going on. Why not forget about him? You and I could go rogue. With our powers, we could be gods, you and I. We could be a team." Reverb said, through choking gasps.

"You just don't want me to kill you." Astrid told him.  
"If I thought you had it in you, to kill me… I would have made you crumble a long time. No, I remind you too much of him. Too much of the one you love. You told me already that you killed the creature that took over your father's body. But this is different, we both know it! Think about it, while that Cisco made you a bracelet to stop you from using your powers… I want you to be free from any restraint. Just think about it, you and me. You only need to read my mind to know that I am not lying." He told her.

Astrid closed her eyes for a brief moment. She saw it in his mind. He was not lying. She could be happy. But it wouldn't be true happiness. This was not her Cisco. She couldn't just leave and accept this man's proposal. She opened her eyes again.

"I'm sorry. I can't do it! I won't!" She had released her pressure from her foot to his throat. But this gave him enough of a chance to knock her off him and bring her to the floor. He stood over her. His hands ready to strike with a final projectile blast. She closed her eyes as she waited for one to come.

But it didn't. She opened her eyes to see a projectile shoot Reverb. It was strong and powerful enough to bring him down. "Leave her alone!" Cisco demanded, though Reverb was unconscious.

Cisco helped her to her feet and they watched as Barry suddenly reappeared. They hadn't realized that he had even disappeared in the first place.

"I locked DR Wells in the pipeline." He exclaimed. "It will take a while until any of his staff can find him."

"Nice work. Maybe you should do the same with this guy." Cisco said as he gave his friend a high five and then a hug and pointed to Reverb.  
"It's great to see you, Cisco." Barry replied, warmly. "I will take him there now." Barry disappeared for a second as he did what he had just said. Reverb was now in the pipeline too.

Cisco once again shut down the console, this time he bypassed the failsafe systems too.

As the five of them headed back to Reyes's apartment they were amazed at what they had all just accomplished as a team. Barry informed Cisco of Caitlin's current predicament and of Eobard Thawne's plans for him.

"Are you going to do it?" Cisco asked his friend.  
"I know that I probably shouldn't… but for once, I want to be selfish. I want to get my father out of prison… I want my mother to be alive…" Barry told him.

"So do it. You deserve a happy ending, Barry." Cisco replied.  
"But first," Reyes chimed in, "I think that you guys will have to get back to your own world, Cisco I told you that I would teach you how to breach back home… and that's what we will do tomorrow. I think for now, we should all just get some rest."

They all agreed.


	5. Chapter 5

As soon as the sun was up, Reyes got to teaching Cisco how to breach.  
"You need to focus on the energy. Let it grow in size and picture the place you wish to travel to. That's how Paco always did it." Reyes instructed. By 8 in the morning, they believed that Cisco had grasped the concept.

"I still can't believe that your friend can read minds and manipulate people's thoughts," Reyes told Cisco as they sat at the bar. Barry, Astrid and Gypsy were currently playing pool with some of Reyes's friends. None of whom had any idea about the incident at STAR Labs, the night before, for obvious reasons.

"Yeah, her power is pretty cool." Cisco agreed.  
"It gave me an idea actually. The Cisco from this world isn't too bad a guy. I felt so bad having to lock him away yesterday. Maybe we could give him a little information that he will remember when the time is right… you know about his employer? Because you know that they will go ahead with the particle accelereator... there's nothing we can do." Reyes said.

"You want to ask Astrid to tell him everything?" Cisco was confused.  
"No, I want you to get her to do it. They're going to need to arm themselves with as much information  
on Wells as possible." Reyes said.

Cisco agreed, "If it might help the future of this world... ok."  
"I'm glad that we both agree, I've seen him a few times at a café named Jitters around this time each morning." Reyes said.  
Cisco nodded and went to find Astrid to explain to her the plan.

Astrid and Cisco left, setting off for Jitters a few streets away as Cisco he explained to her the plan.  
They spotted the Cisco of this world sitting alone in the café, sipping a coffee and reading something.  
"You're sure about this?" Astrid asked him, "You are kind of asking me to use my powers on you… well technically…"

"I think it's for the best." Cisco replied.  
Astrid agreed and went inside, leaving her friend outside of the café, out of sight.

She walked towards the guy and said "hello." He was wearing the same clothes as she had seen her friend wear before. It was almost as if she were meeting her best friend for the first time.

The guy looked a little confused. "Are you talking to me?" He asked her, looking up from his comic book.  
"I sure am." She said sitting across from him, "Oh, I love that one… isn't that where the hero reveals who he really is to that girl?" she asked referring to the comic book.

"Yeah! You like comic books?" he asked, surprised that such a beautiful girl was giving him attention.  
"I do, my best friend is a little obsessed. It sort of rubbed off. Now I find myself buying one every month." She told him, truthfully.

"Do you want to read it?" he asked her.

"I would, but I actually need to talk to you." She told him, as she locked eyes with him, she needed his full attention as what she was doing could risk the fate of this entire world.

"I need to talk to you about something important…" she started manipulating his mind, "…but you will not remember it right now. You will not actually remember a word of it, until the time is right. But the man that you work for… Dr Wells is in fact an evil speedster. Like the one in the comic books. The particle accelerator that he built will cause a large blast that will kill people and change others… giving them super powers. Which will also cause evil villains like him. But you and your friends have what it takes to save the city. You can do it. You will not remember meeting me until you are ready to remember this conversation."

While Cisco was still in a trance state, she left him sitting at the table alone and joined her friend outside. They headed back to the bar in silence.

Once the group left the bar, Barry, Cisco and Astrid felt more than ready to head home. Even if the whole town was compelled by Grodd to hunt down Barry.

"So are you sure that you have this, Cisco?" Reyes asked him as he fixed his goggles to his face.

"I'm sure that I'm willing to try," Cisco replied.  
"If we wind up in the time of the dinosaurs, Cisco… I swear that I'm feeding you to them." Astrid teased.  
"You got this, Cisco." Barry replied. "Are you sure that the two of you don't want to come with us?" he asked Reyes and Gypsy.

"Yes we're sure." Reyes replied, "Someone needs to keep an eye on this city. For now, its home."  
Gypsy agreed with him.

They said their goodbyes and then Cisco held out his hand and focused. A large energy breach appeared before their very eyes. "One small step for man…" Cisco said proudly as the three of them stepped through the portal, "…one giant leap for mankind!"

They arrived at STAR Labs and by the looks of everything they were in the right place. The entire office had been ransacked, but there was not a soul in sight.

"My computer!" Cisco exclaimed, checking for any major damages. Fortunately, there were none.

"It's only been 20 minutes since we left." Barry said noticing the time on the wall.

"Twenty minutes seems like a life time." Astrid replied, relieved to back, "but where is everybody?"

Barry walked towards the window. The whole city was silent. There was not a moving car in sight below. The streets were filled with darkness. It was strange considering it wasn't too late at night. "I don't like this." He told his friends. "Something is seriously wrong."

Astrid scanned as far as she could for people's thoughts. Barry was right, it seemed as if the entire city was entirely empty. "Maybe we should go for a walk," she suggested.

They walked through the town, it was as if the entire town had been evacuated overnight. There was not a single person in the town. Central City had become a ghost town.

"I'm going to head home. Maybe Joe and Iris are there." Barry said.  
"What if it's a trap?" Cisco asked him.

"At least I'll be prepared for it." Barry replied. All three of them decided to head back to their homes.

Once Astrid returned home, she wasn't tired enough to head to bed, so she sat on the lounge and flicked through the channels on the television. There was absolutely no signal.

A knock at the door made her jump, so she stood up to answer it. It was Cisco.

"Your family's gone too?" she asked her friend.  
"I never went home." He told her.

"Ok, what's up?" she asked. Ever since she had seen him kissing Gypsy she had tried to not let it affect her. He clearly knew that, as he had come to give an explanation.

"I want you to know that Gypsy kissed me… it wasn't the other way around." He told her.

"Ok, I don't know why you think that you need to explain. You seriously don't need to." She told him.

"Yeah…I do, Astrid and I need you to hear me out. When I tried to kiss you, back when you were dating Oliver it wasn't a joke. I lied because I am in love with you, I always have been since the day that we met... and I just need you to know that." He told her, his vulnerability was been worn on his sleeves.

He turned to leave but she stopped him. It was now or never, and this time she wasn't talking to his doppleganger... it was him. "Cisco, I never told you why Oliver and I broke up... There were multiple reasons… but the biggest reason of all was that I can't be with someone that I don't love. I need you to know that... well... I am in love with you too." She told him.

The two of them finally kissed.


	6. Chapter 6

"Hello? Joe? Iris? Are any of you here?" Barry called out as he stepped through the open door to his house. But, there was no answer. He checked the rooms looking for any sign of his family but the house was absolutely empty.

He suddenly felt the presence of someone standing in the doorway behind him. "Grodd evacuated the entire town." Eobard told him,

Barry turned around, a little startled to see him standing there in his true form. "Eobard Thawne was it?" Barry asked him.

"In the flesh, Barry Allen." Eobard replied, "Have you made a decision?"

Barry thought again about his answer. In the other world the other Barry was set to get his powers due to the particle accelerator, though in this world he had received them via the radiation from the meteor shower. Though Eobard was giving Barry the chance to go back and save his mother. He might still have his powers, he wasn't sure, but at least his mother would still be alive.

He might not know any of his friends now, but he needed to consider if that was a risk that he was willing to take. "I need a little more time." he replied.

A look of frustration fell across Eobard's face. Nonetheless, he nodded and left to give Barry the time he needed.

Barry picked up the telephone and dialed CCPD. For the first time ever the phone rang out. He tried again but got the same response. He sped through the town, in his suit, searching for stragglers, but found none. Thawne was right, the entire town was gone. Barry stood on the road in the middle of the street, outside of STAR Labs. He was going to go inside and check the security footage.

For a moment, he could have sworn that he had heard the sound of a car coming down the street. He saw two bright headlights coming straight for him. He stepped off the road and watched as the car came to an abrupt stop in front of him. He recognized the occupants immediately. Leonard Snart and Mick Rory.

"Great!" Barry said with sarcasm, as the two of them jumped out of the car, holding their weapons aimed at him. But they didn't shoot. In fact, it looked as if they needed his help.

"Flash… I know we don't generally get along too well… but, I think this time we might need to make an exception!" Leonard told him as he lowered his weapon and asked his companion to do the same.

"The two of you should be in jail." Barry told them.  
"Yet, we're not, which means we're good at our jobs!" Mick told him.  
The Flash shook his head softly and looked at Leonard. "What do you want?"

"I just want my sister back." Leonard told him, "You see, she was here in Central City a couple of hours ago and when we were meant to meet up in Sterling city, she had just vanished. I thought 'oh it's just Lisa… she likes to keep us guessing… but then…"

"…But then you realized the entire town had gone missing too." Barry finished his sentence, then continued, "…why should I help you?"

"…Because you're the good guy… you help people… and right now…" Snart continued.

"Right now you need help?" Barry gathered. He decided to push aside his hatred for the two criminals. It was true that they would need to work together to get the whole city back. Though somehow he felt that Astrid and Cisco would disagree with him.

The next day, the Flash asked Leonard and Mick Rory to wait down stairs at STAR Labs, while he approached Cisco and Astrid with the idea.

He found Astrid and Cisco in a bizarrely good mood, as they were going through the security footage of the night before. Barry had forgotten to do so last night.

"The two of you are quite cheery this morning, considering the city's current predicament." Barry told his friends.  
"Well Cisco had one of his visions. We think that the entire city could be below ground." Astrid told him. She rested both her hands on Cisco's shoulders as he worked on pulling up the security footage.

"Ok… that actually sounds very possible… But I think we're going to need as much help as we can possibly muster up." Barry told them.

"True, but the whole town is under Grodd's manipulation and I'm pretty sure Oliver is dealing with an entirely separate sort of villain right now." Astrid told him, not even looking up.

Barry went to explain just who he was referring to, when his unwelcomed guests walked right in, making Cisco and Astrid jump up, startled.

Cisco had his hands at the ready to blast them and Astrid was prepared to mind blast them at any moment.

"No, guys!" Barry stopped them with his hands out stretched to his friends, "Snart and Rory want to help!"

"No! They kidnapped us don't you remember?" Cisco told him, in absolute disagreement.

"I considered that already," Barry said. He was still wearing his mask and was surprised that his friends hadn't even noticed.

"What Barry is saying is indeed true." Leonard told them.

"Wait! He just called you… did you hear that?" Cisco stammered. Barry had indeed heard Snart call him by his real name.

"The three of you forget that I am good at my job." Leonard told them confidently. "But don't worry, your secret is safe with me… provided we work together in helping my sister… or else I won't be cautious with whom I tell."

"See, you guys… we have no choice." Barry told his friends.

"You forget that I know what Miss Sutherland is also capable of… yet I haven't told a soul!" Leonard said to Astrid.

"That's correct." She said softly, "so you know that I can read your mind and find out if you're being dishonest." She told the two criminals.

"So go ahead, princess!" Mick Rory gruffed.

The word 'princess' made Astrid's hairs stand on end. She stormed up to the man and glared at him angrily as she focused on both he and Leonard's minds. Her face changed as she saw that they were being honest. "I suppose that there's a first time for everything." She told them, despite the fact that she would prefer to stay right away from the two of them at all costs.

She looked at Leonard, "Ok. It seems we have no choice but to align with each other for now. But if you even dare to use us as an accessory for robbery… don't think that for one minute, that you will get away with it!"

Leonard smiled at her, "Oh, but last time was so much fun wrestling with you… Killer!"  
She went to slap him, but Barry pulled her away immediately.  
"For your information, Captain Cold! Our friend here can cause you to have a brain aneurism, right where you stand. So watch your mouth!" Cisco told him.

"I would like to see her try." He replied.  
Astrid took a few deep breathes. As much as they tried, she wasn't going to let these crooks get the better of her.

"Barry, I suppose that you have a plan?" she asked changing the subject.  
"We need to find where everybody is first, and then we need to find a permanent place for Grodd. We saw just how well the pipeline worked out." Barry replied.  
"Well, that's what happens when you have a speedster who can look like anyone." Cisco said glumly. His friends had told him everything that had happened. "But I might be able to help with the finding a special place for Grodd… Leave that part to me." He told them.

"Cisco, you can't just send Grodd to the pocket dimension." Barry told him.  
"No, I have my theories, which I would like to try out. You guys will have to see. But first we need to find the entire city and the great big ape." Cisco told them as he raced towards the computer and began clicking through the security videos. Barry and Astrid were impressed over how he was taking charge.

Within moments their friend had set up an infrared filter over the live map of the city, "Hey you guys… there's energy coming from this section of the map, indicating a large amount of action. I think I found them." He told them.

"So if the nerd has figured out where they are… lets go hunting!" Mick Rory gruffed.  
"Hey, we're not killing Grodd." Barry told them. But Snart and Rory were already leaving in a hurry, with their guns at the ready. Barry looked over at Cisco and Astrid for a little help.

"That's what happens when you work with gun-toting criminals, Barry." Astrid said, shaking her head. "Let's go before they cause more trouble."

"Before we go..." Cisco said, as he picked up a few sets of mini anti-telepathic headphones. "...we can't forget these… I even have a few for Captain Cold and Heatwave… They are such cool nicknames!"

"Well, let's go after them, before it's too late!" Barry said with a sigh, as the three of them set off after the the other two.


	7. Chapter 7

"So, let me get this straight… with these headphones in, that ape can't read or control our minds?" Leonard asked.  
"That's correct." Cisco replied, as he loaded up his oversized tranquilizer gun.  
"Do they work on the princess here?" Mick asked.  
"Don't call me princess!" Astrid growled, "but yes they do. That's why I can't wear them as they dampen my powers so I can't use them on Grodd."

Snart nodded. He was pleased with that answer, "So we found where everyone is, we have the guns… and a mighty tranquilizer there and we have a speedster to distract the ape. But what do we do about the entire city, that he has turned into his own private army?"

"Easy… You don't hurt them. They are innocents." Barry replied.

"Pfft! You spoil all the fun. But if they hurt us…" Leonard argued.  
"You leave them alone…" Astrid snarled. "Remember, your sister is amongst them, you don't want to risk her getting hurt too. Now, I will go down first… I will need to distract him, to give Barry enough time to swoop in. Cisco… you keep an eye on these two and come down when its safe… Give us ten-minutes tops!"

"No! Are you crazy? You betrayed him last time. You know he will be angry with you…" Cisco argued.  
"Yeah, and I know what I'm doing. Remember, I can hold my own when it comes to him. Plus, Barry will be able to distract him as I remove the mind control from the town and get them to safety and then you guys come in… guns a blazing… Make sure these two don't kill anyone!"

"You are talking about using mind control over an entire town… didn't you just say you couldn't even help Firestorm?" Cisco asked her, he was not too thrilled by the thought of her throwing her life away, especially after the vision that he had just recently experienced.  
"Do you have a better plan?" she asked him.

He was going to argue but Barry cut in, "Come on… we need to get a move on before someone hears us!" he and Astrid departed down the drain pipe at breakneck speed.

"Create the plan…" Leonard said, to Cisco as they watched Barry and Astrid disappear down in to the drains. "What's that supposed to mean?" Cisco snapped at him.  
Leonard had picked up on the anger that Cisco was feeling at the girl risking her life for her friends.  
"Execute the plan…" Leonard said, this time making Mick laugh to himself.  
"Of course you would agree to her plan… You're not throwing your life away like she is… she wants us out of the way!" Cisco said angrily.

"…Throw the plan away!" Leonard said, and with that he and Mick immediately jumped into the drain rushing ahead exactly seven minutes before they were supposed to.

Cisco groaned and followed after them. He knew that Astrid would be mad that they were trying to play the hero, but it was better than her doing it and throwing her life away.

Astrid entered the crowds calling out to Grodd in her mind. She knew that he could hear her thoughts and that was what she wanted. At that point she could not see the beast, but she knew that he was aware of her presence.

"Astrid Sutherland!" She found herself two feet away, though face to face with Firestorm. Grodd was using him as his messenger.

"I need to see Gorilla Grodd!" she called out.  
Miraculously, the crowds parted, and just like a king, Grodd approached her through the middle.  
"Astrid betray Grodd!" he told her, still using Firestorm as his messenger.  
"That's because you wanted to hurt my friend. He is good. We never wanted to hurt you. We never wanted to enslave you, as you have done here with all these people!"

She was speaking out loud as she knew that she needed to give Barry a sign.  
"Humans are weak! Astrid is strong! Humans need to be led!" Grodd bellowed through firestorm.

"You're alone. Aren't you?" Astrid asked him. She wanted to keep him talking, but he was distracted by something. "Astrid betray Grodd again. Grodd kill Astrid!"

Before she could react, Firestorm begun flinging fireballs in her direction. Fortunately, they just missed her as Barry took her to safety.

"Light'em up, Mick!" They heard Leonard call out as they were protected by a wall of fire and ice from the crowds.

"Where's Cisco?" Astrid called out.  
Leonard and Mick shuffled on their feet. Astrid swore under her breath as Barry went to go find their friend. Astrid went to go after them, but Snart and Rory stopped her.  
"Sorry, Princess. But the nerd asked for us to keep you out of the way. Besides we might need you for leverage, later!" Mick told her. Leonard sealed her into an ice wall away from the chaos and the two of them left her there. She tried kicking down the ice wall… but she was ultimately stuck.

Cisco used his new-found power of breaching to find the perfect place to shoot Grodd with his tranquilizer gun. He managed to teleport himself to a hidden corner and aim before anyone could see him, when Barry appeared from behind him.

"What are you doing, Cisco?" Barry asked, "You're putting your life in jeopardy. This wasn't the plan."  
"I know it wasn't. But you saw how her plan was going. It wasn't going to work. I can't get a good shot from here. Can you get him to move to the right for me?"

Barry looked over to where he had left Astrid, Snart and Rory. There was a large ice wall, but he figured that they would have gotten out of there by now. He noticed the two men fighting off a group of mind-controlled police officers and figured that Astrid would be in there somewhere.

"Ok Cisco, let me know when I got him into position," Barry replied.  
"I will need him a little closer to the right." Cisco said softly, getting his gun at the ready.

Barry sped out and stood behind Grodd. "Looking for me?" he teased the ape.  
"The Flash!" Grodd bellowed.  
"Ok, Barry. I need him to come a few steps forward. Can you get him to do that?" Cisco asked through his earpiece communicator.

Barry didn't respond, instead he took a few steps backwards and glanced over the ape's broad shoulder where he could see his friend standing in the darkness. The ape also stepped forward.  
"That's perfect! Hasta la vista…" Cisco said, but before he could finish his sentence he took his shot. But then, so did the police officer that was standing behind him, Detective Joe West.

Barry was not fast enough this time. As he ran passed the large ape that fell to the ground with a large crash, he reached his friend Cisco. Cisco had shot the ape… but Joe, under the mind manipulation of Grodd, had shot Cisco in the back.

Barry's heart sunk. Joe's mind control wore off, as he realized just what he had done. Cisco lay on the floor gasping for air. Barry knew that he needed to get Astrid.

He ran as fast as he could, Mick and Snart who had seen the whole thing had begun burning down the ice wall with Rory's gun. As soon as there was the slightest gap to slip through, Barry retrieved Astrid and brought her to Cisco.

She ran to his side and lifted his head onto her lap. "Cisco, don't worry. It's just a scratch. You will be fine." She told him as she tried to keep a straight face.  
"You know that you're not great at lying." He coughed as she removed her light jacket and held it over his wound to stop the bleeding.

The town had regained their minds, at that point, along with Joe. "We need a doctor!" Astrid called out, through tears "…Please!"

A doctor that she knew personally who worked at STAR Labs rushed over to them and tried to help her friend. "I need a little space." He told her. Barry and Joe pulled her away but she crumbled to her feet, keeping watch over her friend. Her whole world was spinning.

"I'm… I'm sorry…" Joe said softly. But she couldn't hear him.  
"Miss Sutherland." The doctor turned from Cisco, to her and said. "He isn't going to make it. The bullet… it…"

Astrid didn't need him to finish his sentence. She raced back over to Cisco, rested his head back onto her knees and held his hand. Cisco was dying and she knew it. In fact, they all knew it.

Captain Singh who had also seen all of this had begun leading the city out of the sewers in an orderly fashion, along with his officers. He eyed Snart and Rory suspiciously, but then let them be.

"Astrid…" Cisco said, "Did I get him?"  
As she rolled her eyes, at his witty remark, tears trickled down her cheeks.  
"You got him. You shouldn't have. But you did."  
"Good." Cisco said, "Is Barry here?" he asked.  
Barry approached them. "Yeah, I'm here."

"Look after her for me. And please help Caitlin." Cisco told him.  
"I will." Barry promised. He wiped a few tears of his own away.  
"Cisco… you shouldn't have done that. You should have just stayed out of the way." Astrid told him.

"Yeah… but I had a vision. I didn't want you to die… I wanted to be the hero this time." Cisco replied.  
Astrid felt a fury of emotions. He had saved her life and had risked his own in the process.

"Why? Why would you do that?" she pleaded, as she stroked his hair behind his ear.  
"Because I love you. And I always have…" he told her. He closed his eyes and they watched as the life drained from his face.

Astrid knelt down and kissed him, sending happy thoughts in to his mind. She hoped that wherever he would go next, that he would be happy, as he had made her since the day she had first met him


	8. Chapter 8

"Snart and Rory reunited with Lisa Snart, Grodd is down in the pipeline, currently safe and secure but we will need to find a permanent place for him." Barry told Astrid, as she sat in her office, still in shock by Cisco's death.

"Sure… but I don't think that I can deal with that right now, Barry. You should go spend some time with Joe and Iris." She told him vaguely, as she glanced at the photo of she and Cisco, that sat on her desk, and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I'm not going to leave you alone, Astrid. You're still in shock." Barry told her.

"Of course I am in shock, we're all in shock. Cisco is dead and there is nothing that we can do to change that. I need to call Caitlin to tell her what has happened." She replied with the same vague tone.

Barry thought back to Eobard. Maybe there was something that he could do. If he could turn back time he could prevent all of this from happening. "maybe you should wait before you call her," he replied.  
"Please don't tell me what to do right now, Barry. She needs to know." She picked up her phone and dialed Iron Heights and waved Barry away.

Barry left her office and glanced over at Cisco's desk. He couldn't help but blame himself for what had happened. They had only just got their friend back and now he was dead.  
"I heard the news. But I still anticipate your decision." Eobard said as he had entered the office, unannounced.

"You have been watching us, haven't you?" Barry questioned him.  
"You are my only hope to return back to my time. If you accept, I promise you that we can undo all of this. Your dad and Caitlin will both be free from prison. Your friend Cisco will indeed be alive." Eobard replied.

"Take the deal, Barry." Astrid had overheard their entire conversation and had entered the room, "Please. Last night, after all these years Cisco and I finally stopped being so stupid and accepted how we feel about each other… and now… now I don't know how I can live without him. Please Barry. I never ask you for anything but if you have the chance to see your mother again and I have the chance to see my family and him again… I wouldn't give it up for the world."

She and Eobard both studied Barry awaiting his decision. After a few breaths, he finally gave it.  
"Ok… What do I need to do? I suppose you have it all worked out?" he asked Thawne.

"I've been waiting for this moment for 15 years, Barry. Of course I do. I'll leave you to say your goodbyes. Your life is going to change drastically after this, you may not even become the Flash. Find me when you're ready." Eobard left the two of them standing there as he entered the elevator and disappeared.

"You do realize that the only reason that I became a forensic scientist is because of what happened to my family. You and I might never meet again." Barry told her.

"Barry, you forget that you were a diehard fan of my father's before we even met. Of course we'll still know each other." She argued. "We might even end up hiring your father to work here. You will most probably follow in his footsteps and there you go… We will meet!"

"Always the optimist." Barry replied.  
"Better the optimist, than the pessimist. You can't give this opportunity up. I won't let you!"

Barry leant over and gave Astrid a hug. "I'll see you on the flip side?" Barry asked her, as they parted.

"Of course you will. I'll meet you at CCPD by the elevators, after you fix the world. Now go find that speedster." Astrid told him. Barry was gone within a blink of an eye.


	9. Chapter 9

Barry ran through Central City searching for the speedster but the speedster found him.  
"I see you made it, Barry." Eobard said, as he ran beside him.  
"What do we need to do?" Barry asked him.  
"Exactly what you're doing. We run and picture where we are going. Picture that night, picture your mother that night. The rest will happen naturally… Just try and catch me, Barry!"

Eobard ran ahead of Barry, so Barry ran after him. Barry ran faster and faster than he had ever run before. The world around him was but a mere blur of ranging colors.

Before long images began to emerge, just like they had when he had been on that cosmic treadmill back at STAR Labs when he had been affected by Cupid's poisoned arrow.

"Keep running, Barry!" Eobard called out from in front of him, "Don't let the images scare you. Run faster and don't stop!"

Lightning bolts flickered around them, nearby he heard a storm brewing, but it went away as quick as it had come.

He saw visions of the man in the bat costume again. Visions of the man in red and blue.

Visions of green aliens, visions of his friends fighting together. Visions of his past. He was taken back to that night in Smallville, where Astrid had shot at the beast who had taken over her father. He was taken back to the meteor shower and his coma. Then he was taken back even further than that.

He knew that he was getting closer, so he kept running. Eobard disappeared before his eyes and then Barry finally found himself back into his family's old home.

He stopped when he saw his mother leaving his old bedroom after she had just said goodnight to him.

Barry had remembered that night every day of his life since it had happened. It had been the last time he had seen his mother smile.

Barry hid behind a door as he witnessed the room go into slow motion. He knew what moment was coming next. Barry saw a yellow blur pass by him. Eobard Thawne. He knew that he needed to do something.

A thought crossed his mind. Eobard had been waiting for Barry to get fast enough to create an energy to open a portal to another dimension. Maybe this was the way to save his mother.

Barry locked Nora Allen in the room with the young version of himself, before they could determine what had happened. He then ran at Eobard Thawne, who was now in the kitchen. He hadn't been expecting to see him there.

"Barry Allen, if my eyes don't deceive me." Eobard said with a smile. He brushed past the knife rack as he spoke.  
"You need to stop this or you will never get back to your time." Barry told the yellow speedster.  
"What are you talking about?" Eobard asked him, a little puzzled.  
"I'm talking about the fact that if you go through with killing my mother, you will have to wait 15 years for me to gain my powers so you can return to your time." Barry explained.

"You're bluffing, Barry." Eobard told him.  
"How do you think I am here? You brought me here to generate enough speed to create a gateway to get you back to your time. I helped you to return to your world and you promised me that you would spare my mother."

"I didn't come to kill your mother, Barry. I came to kill you." Eobard told him, though he seemed to believe him about the not being able to return home.  
"Ok, so I believe you. I will spare your mother and I will spare your ten-year old self. So take me home, Barry." Eobard told him.

Barry didn't see as Eobard picked up a sharp bladed knife from the kitchen.  
"We need to run, Thawne. You can get a head start." Barry told him. Eobard turned to run, though just as he started, he pulled a knife from behind his back and lunged for Barry.

Barry immediately remembered a move that Astrid had shown him time and time again. He dodged the move and was able to knock the knife from Eobard Thawne's hand. Barry kicked it away quickly so Eobard couldn't retrieve it, then took hold of Eobard and ran faster than before.

He seemed to be going back through the speed force. Once he got to a moment that to him, seemed between worlds he let go off Thawne, pushing him out of the gateway. Eobard disappeared into the abyss of nothingness, then Barry returned back again to his childhood home.

He heard Nora and young Barry knocking furiously on the door. His father Henry had returned home, and as The Flash hid, Henry helped Nora and young Barry out of the locked room. None of whom had any idea of what had happened. Barry Allen had saved his family.

As Barry went to leave, he caught a glimpse of a news report on the television.

"…Emergency crews are at the scene of a car accident, where Doctor Robert Sutherland, his wife and daughter were killed on impact as a truck collided with their car on Main street tonight…"

The news showed a picture of the family, which included a young version of the telepathic girl who had become his best friend. But how was that at all possible?

Barry heard his father and mother about to enter the room. He left before they could see him, absolutely puzzled. This news meant one thing… that his friend Astrid Sutherland, was indeed, an anomaly.


	10. Chapter 10

**Fifteen Years Later:**

"Barry? Barry are you home?" Iris asked as she entered the door to the apartment that she shared with him.  
"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Barry stopped her at the front door so that she wouldn't spoil her own surprise.  
"What's the big fuss?" she asked with a smile as he covered her eyes. He had slaved all day over preparing the house for his big proposal.

But before he could reveal the surprise to her, her phone went off from in her pocket. She pushed Barry's hand away as she went to answer her phone. "It's dad!" she said.

"Dad? Is everything ok?" she asked as she answered the phone.

As Detective Joe West answered her, she rushed over to turn on the television, bypassing the wine and glasses on the table.

There was a breaking news report. Barry remembered this news report all too well, though it was different. Dr Wells of STAR Labs, along with his two employees Cisco Ramon and Dr Caitlin Snow, were warning of an upcoming meteor shower…


End file.
